Educational-TV Measure Clears Congress

The Senate last week gave final Congressional approval
to a bill authorizing federal grants for educational-television
programming and training materials designed to improve the school
readiness of young children.

The House had passed the "ready to learn act," S 3134, shortly
before ending its 1992 session last week.

Bush Administration officials said late last week that the President
had not yet decided whether to sign the legislation. However, aides to
Republican members of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee
said they expected Mr. Bush to sign the bill.

The bill was introduced late in the session by Sen. Edward M.
Kennedy, D-Mass., the chairman of the Labor and Human Resources
Committee.

Congressional approval of the measure was a surprise to some
observers on Capitol Hill, who had assumed it would have little chance
of passage in the hectic final weeks before adjournment.

'Ready To Learn Channel'

The measure would authorize the Education Department to award grants
to public or private nonprofit organizations to develop and distribute
educational-television programming for young children, as well as
training materials for parents, child-care providers, and
educators.

The bill also designates a "ready to learn channel'' for educational
shows on the new Public Broadcasting Service satellite that is to be
launched next year.

The bill authorizes $25 million for the initiative in fiscal
1993.

"Our children are spending hours in front of the television, and it
is time to put our resources into providing programming that is
instructional as well,'' Senator Kennedy said in a written
statement.

"Television is a vast resource waiting to be used more
effectively,'' Senator Kennedy maintained. "This legislation puts us on
the right track.''

The new legislation also would establish a national clearinghouse of
model educational-video programming for young children and training
materials for parents.

In addition, it directs the Secretary of Education to coordinate
with the Health and Human Services Department the use of educational
programming in H.H.S. school-readiness programs, including child care
and Head Start.

Vol. 12, Issue 06, Page 22

Published in Print: October 14, 1992, as Educational-TV Measure Clears Congress

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